Lost in the Background
by shimmer-me-timbers
Summary: Do you ever wonder what life was like on the Greene Family Farm? I thought it would be interesting to follow Beth Green - a character who, until recently, was pretty much always in the background quietly watching as everything went down. (rated M for violence, language, and who knows what)


**First and foremost, I do not own the Walking Dead or any of it's characters. I wish I did though, I'd be making bank :). **

**ANY WAYS, t****his is the first installment of "Lost In The Background". It follows Beth's life through out the Walking Dead - from Day 1 of the outbreak on. In my personal opinion Beth is a very underrated character in the series, she's in the background of a ton of important scenes and while she's not a "bad-ass walker killing machine" like her sister Maggie I think she has a very pivotal role in the group.**

** I've written the first month in diary format, but it won't stay that way. Please cut me a little slack because I never kept a diary as a child and wanted to avoid the whole "dear diary" think and keep it as a journal of thoughts. A**

**The sections are short but if you have suggestions on how to beef them up I'd be more than happy to add or change things. Please read, review, and/or comment on your opinion of Beth, I'd love to hear from you.**

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Day 1

Today was a weird day. There were only a few dozen of us at school, we heard an announcement that meningitis was going around and a lot of people caught it. They call it 'the kissing disease' which sounds really funny. But I guess I don't have to worry about it because I got the shot on my last doctor's visit and I haven't been kissing anyone.

Jimmy and I have been going out for almost a month and he hasn't even tried to kiss me yet! But he is really sweet and shier than I am. He told me he's been working up the courage to ask me on a date for two years. What a pair we make.

I asked Mama how you know when you're in love. She said "mouse, you'll just know. Someday a man will sneak into your heart and you won't be able to imagine a life without him. You might not know it but one day he'll kiss you and your toes'll curl and all your troubles will melt away."

First, I can't believe she still calls me "mouse" as in "quiet as a church mouse". It's embarrassing, but mama agreed not to do it in public. Secondly she was right, Jimmy is perfect. I think I'm going to marry him someday. Not right away. But after I become a vet like Daddy and Jimmy learns how to run his daddy's farm.

Oh and Lindsay left school early today. She said that she and Taylor Orwell were playing one of their drinking games in the park and some hobo bit her leg! Who would do that? That's so gross!

I'd write more but I have to go, Sean and Otis just got in and it's my turn to set and clear the table.

Day 2

He finally did it! Jimmy kissed me! He drove me to school this morning, once we got there we found out it was closed and FEMA was setting up Emergency Medical Stations for the increasing number of sick people in the area. So we decided not to go right home.

We spent most of the morning sprinting around the track. Jimmy said that he wants to be able to run faster for football and who better to train with than a member of the Varsity Track and Field team. We did about a dozen laps, I was ready to do more but Jimmy was panting so hard I thought he was going to crack a rib.

When we stopped for a rest I was all sweaty but he came up to me and tucked a stray hair behind my ear before leaning in and kissing me. It was short and awkward. It didn't curl my toes… but it was nice.

Day 3

They canceled school today and Reverend Davis had to close the church up. The news said that this outbreak of meningitis was one of the worst they've ever seen. Daddy said we should stay on the farm and resume working until the world rights itself. We set Otis and Patricia up in one of the guest rooms so they wouldn't have to risk going out and getting sick.

I haven't been able to call anyone, our cell phones have no service and we're one of the few farms that still has a land line. I hope Jimmy and Lindsay are okay.

Day 6

Shawn snuck out last night, Mama and Daddy are furious. They're going easy on him for now because he's not feeling well. Mama says he has a high fever and Patricia had to start him on an IV drip because he's so dehydrated.

On a happier note, a few days ago Otis showed me how to drive his truck. He said if I helped him with his chores around the farm, he'd let me drive. I'm 16, how could I say no to that?

Day 7 –

Shawn is still sick. He's really pale and shivering.

Jimmy finally called today. I could barely understand him on the phone, I think he was crying. He said that his dad got sick with the fever then all of a sudden got out of bed and BIT JIMMY'S MOM! He had to lock his dad in a closet so he wouldn't get bit too.

Otis and Daddy walked over to Jimmy's and put his parents in the barn. Jimmy's in one of the other guest rooms on the far side of the house. No one will say what happened or why they put Jimmy's parents in the barn. Jimmy looks really sad, I wish I could cheer him up but every time I go near him Daddy glares at us like I'm about to commit a sin!

Day 12

We had to put Sean in the barn too. He bit Mama, now she's really sick. I think we all are.

Maggie went into town to pick up a few things from the drug store. She said it's like a ghost town, there's nobody around. She was going to turn around and come home but Mr. Saunders left a note in the drug store window saying "Take What You Need And God Bless". So she took what Patricia asked her for and rode home as fast as she could.

Daddy says the best thing to do is to carry on, take care of the sick, and pray. We can't go out to the church right now, so every night before we go to bed Daddy picks a Bible passage and reads it out.

Day 14 –

Mama's in the barn. She's too sick to keep in the house. It's like the light and happiness left her and she's just a shell of a person. Daddy said they're going to find a cure for this but until then this is God's way of culling the herd.

I wish I knew what we did to make God so angry.

Day 25

There's not much to write about these days. Life is quiet on the farm. Occasionally we find another wandering sick person and Otis puts them in the Barn for safe keeping until we hear about the cure.

Other than that I help Daddy with the animals and Patricia with the produce. Otis usually goes out to hunt deer or whatever he can find. Jimmy was nice enough to help Maggie take over Shawn's work.

When our chores are done Jimmy and I run a few laps around the farm, to get in some exercise and make sure the fences are holding. I usually practice the piano and sing for a little while before dinner. I really wanted to go to school for Music Education but Daddy said it wasn't practical. So I agreed that following in Daddy's footsteps as a Vet was probably a more practical idea. But without fail, by the end of my practicing Otis joins me with his guitar and we do a little recital for Daddy, Maggie, Patricia, and Jimmy. It makes me sad that Mama and Shawn are too sick to join us but it makes everyone else a little bit happier.

Then once we're finished with the supper dishes and prayers we end up going to bed. Daddy still watches me and Jimmy like a hawk. I don't know why because Jimmy's still too shy to even hold my hand in public.

Day 30

The power is out, the phones don't work, and apparently some of the gas lines are going out. Otis had us up early to dust off the generators and make sure they're filled. He and Maggie ran into town so we now have enough gasoline and propane to tide us over for a good few months. Not that we'll need it. But luckily we have our own wells and we don't watch much television anyway.


End file.
